It’s no secret that I have a very active life! I love being involved in things that matter and make a difference in other people’s lives. I have a tight daily agenda, travel often and guard my family time as much as possible. My mentor, Dr John C Maxwell, often talks about how “great things take a long time” and how “everything worthwhile is uphill”. Our dreams, our hopes, our ambitions, our prayers, everything we want to accomplish in life will take lots of our energy, time and resources. Sometimes this gives people the impression that we are “too busy” to stay connected with them.

This doesn’t have to be a fact! I want to be intentional about staying close to those I care about and find ways to stay connected. My favorite way to do it is to send a message, leave a vm or send a picture that simply says “I’m thinking about you”. I can’t always meet with people and have a cup of coffee but there are so many ways to stay connected! My mom and I weren’t always close in proximity. We actually lived far from each other much of our lives. I left home (Durango, México) when I was 17 years old and have lived in Chicago ever since. She stayed back home with her husband and my younger siblings and started visiting Chicago years after I moved here. Back in the 80’s we didn’t have the advanced technology available to us as we do now. I now use FaceTime, texting, messenger, WhatsApp or Zoom calls among other things to stay connected. I became active in social media just in the recent years and LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and even my daily devotionals make it easier to stay connected. My mom and I weren’t “friends” on any of these platforms however, we were both intentional to stay closely connected. We wrote each other letters, sent cards and mostly talked on the phone. We didn’t leave room to miss each other.

If you find yourself telling people “I miss you” it’s definitely a sign to reach out to them. Don’t wait for them to take the initiate, do it yourself. I do, maybe not as often as some of my friends and business acquaintances would like me to, but even when my effort to stay connected doesn’t seem appreciated because it’s once in a while, I still reach out because it gives me personal satisfaction. Whether I get a call back or not, I do my part. Try it! Reach out without expecting people to reach back, just do it! It will give you a sense of fulfillment and eventually those you’re meant to be close to, will also do their part and reach out. Stay close!